Business is looking up. Everyone is finally realizing that the NAR commercials stating that now is a great time to buy are true. Interest rates can not go any lower, if the fed lowers the prime rate any lower forget about home buyers worry about depression. I have shown homes to some of my first time buyers that have shown price increases and two of my home buyer clients have been involved in bidding   the past month. My family owns a moving company that is a long established local mom and pop business. When I was still in school in the 80s it was a hot business to start (my parents started oursin the 60s) and many people started them up. When the economy hit a downturn and the industry tanked many of these part time or new movers left the industry. I think our brokerages will experience the same thing during this downturn. Many of our new Realtors or part time real estate agents who came in during the peak will be leaving the industry now. I actually had a half dozen people in my class to first get my real estate license who just wanted to sell their own house and that was it. So, when the end of this season comes and it continues to pick up we will have more business and less real estate agents so those of us who are working full time at real estate will reap the benefits.

From Left Alan our mortgage rep for the office, Wes a friend who we hope to have join the office, Doug ..my assistant and receptionist,me, Joe (Town Alderman, Mary (my wife and co-owner) Bill Peer one of our agents. After the ribbon cutting we went to the golf course and had the First Annual Exit Open Golf Outing. It was great and we recruited two agents at the course!

 

 

So July 4th has many meanings to all of us. It stands for the ideals and belief systems our country was founded on and acts as a reminder of what cost those beliefs and our freedom came to. I would take this time to thank all of our troops past, present and future for all they have done and what they will continue to do. Independence day has a deep meaning to my brokerage and to your brokerage beyond the patriotic and symbolic portions. When you go to a family members or friends BBQ this weekend look around and think about it, we sell the brick and mortar and the sticks and nails sure but we sell the lifestyle more. So while it is a day to remember and rededicates ourselves to our land we need to redeicated ourselves to our home sellors and buyers.

Hello all,

Just wanted to update everyone who has sent emails and cards etc for Dakotas speedy and complete recovery, first thank you! Second, he is doing well and has taken some steps with a walker. He has dealt with some infections and still can not speak. Please keep him in your prayers.

So I thought things would calm down a bit now that we had the brokerage open and had some homes moving. Boy, was I wrong! Planning a grand opening is quite a bit of work. We are hosting a gold outing in conjunction with our open house and ribbon cutting. I have made all of the arrangements but forgot to call the mayors office so I have to do that ASAP tomorrow. We ordered all of our giveaways and have our shirts for the staff. Other than the mayor to cut the ribbon (oh gotta go to party city and buy ribbon too!) we are all done....I hope.

Today we are going to not talk about real estate or money but what is realy important....family. I am the director of coaching for the youth lacrosse program of Jefferson Township , New Jersey. One of my young men who I have coached has had a very serious health issue. He is and will be again a very active and bright young man who is twelve years old. He ended up having a headache after a recent game he played in. Turns out his headache was a brain tumor. He has had succsesful brain surgery and the tumor was found to be benign. Due to the fact that the tumor was on his brain stem he has swelling of his nerves and has lost many functions, like eating, swallowing, and speaking. He has a great chance to come back from this and when we visited him the other day he was awake and aware of us and could communicate through gestures and with his eyes somewhat but he is a very scared little boy and could use all of your prayers and best wishes. I will also be cooking a roast beef fundraiser for his family as their insurance will cover only fifty percent of the costs. Anyone who would liketo buy a ticket please email me at bige11378@yahoo.com and include roast beef dinner as subject. Also, if anyone would like to send a get well card to Dakota (our 12 year old player) please forward them to my office at 211 myrtle avenue boonton, nj 07005. Please do say a prayer for Dakota and his speedy and complete recovery.

Our job is to sell houses and homes. How do we do this? By getting as many people in the door as possible to view the home. (Of course in the lux and high end markets or niche markets this is not the model). Technology will help you with this imensly but some tech tools may actualy hurt you in your home selling endevours. How so do you ask? Well if you have a nice house with great curb appeal but maybe a lousy floor plan. If you put virtual tours up you may not get the home buyer in to view who may have otherwise came on a tour of the home and fell in love with the house. So you need to plan your marketing plan for every listing. A set plan is ok but we need to be able to deviate when the time or situation calls for it. The clients of our brokerage have their own feel for a house and they may see something in person different than we do. Remember our job is too have the front door open and get bodies through it.

Where is the best place to advertise? In plain sight is what I say. Some of us hide in plain sight and some of us shine in the sun, what is the difference and how do we achieve one and avoid the other? I think it is entirely up to you and your area but having a web presence that is professional is the first place to start , you do not have to be a computer engineer and have a second life avatar but a nicely formated and user friendly web site is at least a start. I also think the Saturday and Sunday papers are very important, we all can picture the couple that are first time home buyers having coffee and circling the houses to view that day. They do not have to buy the house you have advertised they just have to BUY YOU! The best but most forgotten place to advertise and to shine in the sun instaed of HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT is in our daily lives. Wear a name badge , have car magents or get your car wrapped, dress professionaly, and try to give out at least ten business cards a day! If you are not going through multiple thousands of business cards every year then you are not trying hard enough. Remember, you sell yourself first and houses second. Real Estate Brokerage is a people business.

So I have a contract in on a short sale in my county. My client likes two houses on this particular street the one we put the contract in on and the one right next door. They both are nice. I received a call today from the firm handling the short sale for the home owner(we have two realtors on their side, the bank and now the short sale company plus me the closing table will be packed) and they informed that there are a few issues with the house one being the septic but the other being that a young high school girl was murdered and dismembered in the house! When they lead off with the septic needing to be replaced and then say the BIG issue is next youy know you have some problems. So my client is negotiating. It brings up an interesting point should we be forced as realtors to disclose material facts like this in a listing? It does harm the home sellor if we do but it will protect people from buying a murder/crime scene home. It will also protect us from any and all issues with the house sale later. If the deal goes through we will be donating the commision to the scholarship that has been created in the young girls name.

So someone asked what I use a portable DVD player for. Well, the first and easiest one is thta I have some promotional videos that I play for my home sellors when I am at a listing appoinment. I also will make up a loop of properties that will play or a highlight slide show for my open houses and play it during the showings. The best use of it is for the young home buyers or first time buyers who have kids. Slap in a shrek video and let them watch it and let mommy and daddy sign up to buy that house! Who do you think the home buyers will want to use and agent who thinks of everything and keeps their kids amused or one who just lets the kids run wild and they feel distrcted while viewing a new home? You look like a super agent with little tricks like these!